Surfing Waves

I searched the forums and couldn't find any literature on this finding:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/for/5717143312.html

Cheater Five Surfboard "The Thumb"
9'4", Shaped by Kirk Pifer

Has anyone tried these boards?

I'm a beginner, just started catching green water waves recently, working on my turns. I usually ride a rental NSP board, 9'2", 22 7/8" wide, 3 3/16" thick and it rides great for me.

I'd like to make the switch from rental to ownership though, and would like something that can last me a while as I get better. Would you consider the Cheater Five board a good candidate to move from the NSP board?

IMO that board is just what you need....just carefully check to see if there is any signs of repainting and pick it up to see if it is abnormally heavy (go to a shop and pick a few new boards up to get the feel prior to checking that one out). The finish on the board in other areas suggests that the owner would not have repainted for cosmetic reasons, so if it has been repainted it is because they are hiding something like a crease, snap or football sized ding....heavy means water got in and didn't get taken out....either are deal breakers. Good luck.

I know Kirk and his wife. He makes good boards that a bit off the norm. I like his Cheater 5 Phat Pig 7'0" model. He made that shrunken longboard before it became popular.

The Thumb model is ( was ) made by Boardworks, which isn't around anymore like it was when they built boards for Kirk.. But why are you going from a 9'2" to a 9'4"? You should be going down in volume as your turning improves. The NSP 9'2" is great for starters being it's overly thick. I think you should look for thinner 2 7/8"-ish boards.

Yeah, I just realized the Thumb is thicker than the NSP (by a 16th of an inch).

I think having a thicker board might help me out since I'm still a beginner. I can catch green waves but my turning is weak right now. I'd like to keep catching every wave I can get before making it tougher for myself. I think having a thinner board might make catching waves a little more difficult. Is that true in your experience?

Would it be worth it to get a thinner board for the long term? Could having a thicker board get boring after a while?

$285 seems like a good deal if the boards watertight. You save money in the long run versus renting. I wouldn't worry about 1/16th"

Buy it. Even if you move on to shorter boards, a nice longboard seems to be the one classic board that's always nice to have in your quiver. Besides, you might meet someone who wants to learn to surf and you can hook them up with your trusty log.